4 ms·

Here's some documentary footage that more or less sums it up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0f2FwCxv7k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0f2FwCxv7k ;) If y

Here's some documentary footage that more or less sums it up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0f2FwCxv7k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0f2FwCxv7k ;) If you want to hear some of the results, check out the Grateful Dead archive on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead The same philosophy behind GD and tapers was adopted by many "Jam Bands" that came after them. Taping improvisational bands like the Dead has a special importance due to the way each show varies and is completely removed from the studio experience. I'd go so far as to say many folks just dislike most studio Dead albums but can rattle off a list of shows with the favorite versions of their favorite songs. One of the greatest things about the Dead, IMO, was the relationship between the band members. Jerry wasn't the typical lead guitarist and band leader. He was more than happy to share that role and the structure of the band was more or less flat. This jazzier style where anyone was free to lead is something I try to execute in my day to day work life. It's funny though... Just like in playing music, you'll find that there are folks that revel in improvisation, and there are some people who, despite phenomenal talent, can't function without sheet music, rules, a plan, etc. It's sad to me that the Dead is more or less 'boomer music' these days. There was a time when there was a significant overlap between the tech community and Deadheads. I think the Dead's culture was a geek-friendly form of socialization that was accommodating to non-neurotypical folks and gave many of us weirdo nerds a chance to learn some social skills. The Dead scene was crazy but it was... communal and provided a 'safe space' for all kinds of folks when the world was much less friendly to divergence.

photochemsyn 4y ago
The Grateful Dead created some unique music in the early 1970s, best characterized as a kind of bluegrass-rock blend. However, their later popularity and touring in the late 1980s turned into a really pathetic spectacle. Some of this was likely related to Jerry Garcia's heroin addiction (which undoubtedly contributed, along with other factors like smoking cigarettes, to his early death at age 53). Dead shows of the period were well known as the place to go to score the best heroin among druggie circles of all kinds. This all predated the opiate marketing game and the rise of the pain pill clinics, whose results can be seen wandering the streets of any major American city today. It's really a kind of sad tale, but I still like their early music (the vast majority of which wasn't taped with any quality).
- gumby 4y ago
  I felt the heroin-soaked period of 73-77 was the best Dead of them all (some tunes down to almost 60 beats per minute) though as they started to pick up a bit in 78 that was pretty great too. By the late 80s they had ended up as a really good cover band playing Grateful Dead material. Though there were flashes of brilliance even then, I had a hard time getting up the energy to hear anything but local shows. I didn't (and don't like) taking the drugs myself, though there was always a contact high / breathing the atmosphere that would tune me up. But the drugs just got in the way of the music.
  - DonHopkins 4y ago
    I often accidentally call them "Grateful Dead Conferences" because so many tech people I knew and worked with in Silicon Valley and regularly saw at computer conferences and trade shows would show up (like you, Fen, Gilmore, Barlow, etc). (That was back when the hippies were in charge, before the frat bros took over.) Q: What did the Deadhead say when he ran out of marijuana? A: "This music sucks!" ;)
    - Jgrubb 4y ago
      Just curious - you ever listen to railroad earth? I used to be in that band and we killed in the Bay Area. It was said by some that we “filled their jerry hole”, which was some of the highest and funniest praise we got.
      - DonHopkins 4y ago
        Wow cool! That is indeed the highest praise, though easily misinterpreted out of context. I saw a bunch of Flying Other Brothers concerts, who started at an Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) benefit at The Fillmore Auditorium in 1997, and occasionally backed Bob Weir and Mickey Hart! http://www.fob.com/band/ http://www.fob.com/band/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Other_Brothers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Other_Brothers
  - lioeters 4y ago
tkgally 4y ago
I agree with everything you say, though I wonder a bit about this: > the Dead is more or less 'boomer music' these days. I haven’t lived in the U.S. for many years so I don’t know the current scene first-hand, but whenever I watch Grateful Dead videos on YouTube I start getting recommendations for videos of currently performing cover bands [1]. These include not only the groups that include surviving original members, like Dead & Company, but also a lot of younger bands throughout the country. Some stick to the original Dead repertoire fairly closely, while others mix it with their originals and with other covers. While Dead & Company seem to attract a lot of graybeards to their shows, the crowds for the younger bands look a lot younger. Those videos stir mixed feelings in this graybeard. On the one hand, I’m happy to see young people enjoying the music I was into nearly fifty years ago (I attended my first Grateful Dead concert in 1973). On the other hand, shouldn’t young people be into newer music? [1] http://gratefuldeadtributebands.com http://gratefuldeadtributebands.com
- 01100011 4y ago
  Yeah the jam band scene is still alive and mostly well. I kind of got out of it a few years ago but I'm still friends with many people in the scene. It maintains a stronger following in the Eastern and Central US from what I remember. > On the one hand, I’m happy to see young people enjoying the music I was into nearly fifty years ago (I attended my first Grateful Dead concert in 1973). On the other hand, shouldn’t young people be into newer music? I hear you. I'm overjoyed to see young people listening to classics but wonder when the next Jerry, Zappa or Jimi will emerge. The music world is much more image conscious than it was then, however(video killed the radio star...) and the market is much more fragmented now. That said, there's a ton of great new music. It's hard to tell with my old ears what music now will have the staying power of the music we love.
  - mellavora 4y ago
    You should start listening to more bluegrass.
    - 01100011 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
chrisweekly 4y ago
Well said. IME the jamband scene (at least pre-pandemic) carried the torch pretty well. Beyond GD's post-Jerry iterations (Dead & Co, Phil and Friends), that welcoming community of taper-friendly bands (esp Phish, but also Moe, SCI...) has even grown in size and reach.
perrygeo 4y ago
I don't know if I'd consider Dead "boomer music". Just yesterday, I met a bunch of new people from my wife's workplace, all 20/30 yo clean-cut career and family types. Surprisingly the Dead came up and about 1/3 of group jumped out of their chair at the mention of Jerry Garcia. We talked about shows we'd seen or listened to recently, favorite songs, the upcoming finale of the Dead's touring career... Deadheads are alive and well in the younger generation. They definitely aren't your stereotypical "hippies" though! That whole aesthetic is a relic of the boomer past.
- 01100011 4y ago
  You'll find there's quite a range of deadheads out there. The Dead was pretty big in some frats so there's that vibe as well. Ann Coulter of all people is a deadhead. Glad to hear you found some kindred spirits without one foot in the grave :)
perrygeo 4y ago
The linkage between the tech culture and the Dead/Jam Band culture has always interested me. I was a tour rat for years before I discovered that I could make a living creating software. The culture of freely taping and trading live shows is deeply ingrained in my psyche and value system - the idea that a band could give something away "for free", creating so much value in the world yet recovering only a part of that value as concert revenue, was very influential to me. And I believe it was a cultural foundation for open source software in some ways. At least personally, when I started writing software, I was immediately drawn to the value system of open source software with near-RMS levels of enthusiuasm.
- dfxm12 4y ago
  The DIY ethos I found in my local music scene similarly drew me to the value system of OSS. Though, maybe DIY is a bit of a misnomer. I had a friend that booked shows. He always insisted on saying "DIT" - do it together. I think this makes it more explicit, whether it's a bunch of people chipping in on setting up a show, a bunch of people sharing their tapes, or a bunch of people committing to an OSS project...
sleepymoose 4y ago
>It's sad to me that the Dead is more or less 'boomer music' these days. Hey man, there are still a few of us youngin's out here repping the Dead!
ada1981 4y ago
TAB (Trey Anastasio Band has been on fire this fall - Phish’s front mans band) and I just saw an impressive show from psychedelic folk rocker Billy Strings in LA. I’m heading see Trey in San Diego tonight and tomorrow in Santa Barbra.

photochemsyn 4y ago

The Grateful Dead created some unique music in the early 1970s, best characterized as a kind of bluegrass-rock blend. However, their later popularity and touring in the late 1980s turned into a really pathetic spectacle. Some of this was likely related to Jerry Garcia's heroin addiction (which undoubtedly contributed, along with other factors like smoking cigarettes, to his early death at age 53). Dead shows of the period were well known as the place to go to score the best heroin among druggie circles of all kinds. This all predated the opiate marketing game and the rise of the pain pill clinics, whose results can be seen wandering the streets of any major American city today. It's really a kind of sad tale, but I still like their early music (the vast majority of which wasn't taped with any quality).

gumby 4y ago
I felt the heroin-soaked period of 73-77 was the best Dead of them all (some tunes down to almost 60 beats per minute) though as they started to pick up a bit in 78 that was pretty great too. By the late 80s they had ended up as a really good cover band playing Grateful Dead material. Though there were flashes of brilliance even then, I had a hard time getting up the energy to hear anything but local shows. I didn't (and don't like) taking the drugs myself, though there was always a contact high / breathing the atmosphere that would tune me up. But the drugs just got in the way of the music.
- DonHopkins 4y ago
  I often accidentally call them "Grateful Dead Conferences" because so many tech people I knew and worked with in Silicon Valley and regularly saw at computer conferences and trade shows would show up (like you, Fen, Gilmore, Barlow, etc). (That was back when the hippies were in charge, before the frat bros took over.) Q: What did the Deadhead say when he ran out of marijuana? A: "This music sucks!" ;)
  - Jgrubb 4y ago
    Just curious - you ever listen to railroad earth? I used to be in that band and we killed in the Bay Area. It was said by some that we “filled their jerry hole”, which was some of the highest and funniest praise we got.
    - DonHopkins 4y ago
      Wow cool! That is indeed the highest praise, though easily misinterpreted out of context. I saw a bunch of Flying Other Brothers concerts, who started at an Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) benefit at The Fillmore Auditorium in 1997, and occasionally backed Bob Weir and Mickey Hart! http://www.fob.com/band/ http://www.fob.com/band/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Other_Brothers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Other_Brothers
- lioeters 4y ago

tkgally 4y ago

I agree with everything you say, though I wonder a bit about this: > the Dead is more or less 'boomer music' these days. I haven’t lived in the U.S. for many years so I don’t know the current scene first-hand, but whenever I watch Grateful Dead videos on YouTube I start getting recommendations for videos of currently performing cover bands [1]. These include not only the groups that include surviving original members, like Dead & Company, but also a lot of younger bands throughout the country. Some stick to the original Dead repertoire fairly closely, while others mix it with their originals and with other covers. While Dead & Company seem to attract a lot of graybeards to their shows, the crowds for the younger bands look a lot younger. Those videos stir mixed feelings in this graybeard. On the one hand, I’m happy to see young people enjoying the music I was into nearly fifty years ago (I attended my first Grateful Dead concert in 1973). On the other hand, shouldn’t young people be into newer music? [1] http://gratefuldeadtributebands.com http://gratefuldeadtributebands.com

01100011 4y ago
Yeah the jam band scene is still alive and mostly well. I kind of got out of it a few years ago but I'm still friends with many people in the scene. It maintains a stronger following in the Eastern and Central US from what I remember. > On the one hand, I’m happy to see young people enjoying the music I was into nearly fifty years ago (I attended my first Grateful Dead concert in 1973). On the other hand, shouldn’t young people be into newer music? I hear you. I'm overjoyed to see young people listening to classics but wonder when the next Jerry, Zappa or Jimi will emerge. The music world is much more image conscious than it was then, however(video killed the radio star...) and the market is much more fragmented now. That said, there's a ton of great new music. It's hard to tell with my old ears what music now will have the staying power of the music we love.
- mellavora 4y ago
  You should start listening to more bluegrass.
  - 01100011 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

chrisweekly 4y ago

Well said. IME the jamband scene (at least pre-pandemic) carried the torch pretty well. Beyond GD's post-Jerry iterations (Dead & Co, Phil and Friends), that welcoming community of taper-friendly bands (esp Phish, but also Moe, SCI...) has even grown in size and reach.

perrygeo 4y ago

I don't know if I'd consider Dead "boomer music". Just yesterday, I met a bunch of new people from my wife's workplace, all 20/30 yo clean-cut career and family types. Surprisingly the Dead came up and about 1/3 of group jumped out of their chair at the mention of Jerry Garcia. We talked about shows we'd seen or listened to recently, favorite songs, the upcoming finale of the Dead's touring career... Deadheads are alive and well in the younger generation. They definitely aren't your stereotypical "hippies" though! That whole aesthetic is a relic of the boomer past.

01100011 4y ago
You'll find there's quite a range of deadheads out there. The Dead was pretty big in some frats so there's that vibe as well. Ann Coulter of all people is a deadhead. Glad to hear you found some kindred spirits without one foot in the grave :)

perrygeo 4y ago

The linkage between the tech culture and the Dead/Jam Band culture has always interested me. I was a tour rat for years before I discovered that I could make a living creating software. The culture of freely taping and trading live shows is deeply ingrained in my psyche and value system - the idea that a band could give something away "for free", creating so much value in the world yet recovering only a part of that value as concert revenue, was very influential to me. And I believe it was a cultural foundation for open source software in some ways. At least personally, when I started writing software, I was immediately drawn to the value system of open source software with near-RMS levels of enthusiuasm.

dfxm12 4y ago
The DIY ethos I found in my local music scene similarly drew me to the value system of OSS. Though, maybe DIY is a bit of a misnomer. I had a friend that booked shows. He always insisted on saying "DIT" - do it together. I think this makes it more explicit, whether it's a bunch of people chipping in on setting up a show, a bunch of people sharing their tapes, or a bunch of people committing to an OSS project...

sleepymoose 4y ago

>It's sad to me that the Dead is more or less 'boomer music' these days. Hey man, there are still a few of us youngin's out here repping the Dead!

ada1981 4y ago

TAB (Trey Anastasio Band has been on fire this fall - Phish’s front mans band) and I just saw an impressive show from psychedelic folk rocker Billy Strings in LA. I’m heading see Trey in San Diego tonight and tomorrow in Santa Barbra.